China's Sichuan Team wins Dragon Boat Race in Pokhara

China's Sichuan Dragon Boat Team won the Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival which concluded here Saturday. Nepal's 'Nara Dragon Boat Team' emerged as the first runner-up, the organizers said.

The Sichuan Dragon Boat Team lifted the title of both 200 meters and 500 meters races and the Nara Dragon Boat Team remained the first runner-up in both tournaments.

The winner bagged Rs 1.1 million in cash with Rs 550,000 each while Nepal's Nara Dragon Boat Team got Rs 700,000 in cash for securing the second position in the two tournaments.

Team Sichuan completed the distance of 500 meters in 2 minutes 20 seconds and the 200 meters race in 53 seconds.

Likewise, Nepal's team took 2 minutes 23 seconds to finish the 500 meters race and 56 seconds for the 200 meters race.

The two-day-long Festival was organized at the joint initiation of the Embassy of China in Nepal, the Pokhara Metropolitan City, and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

A total of eight teams including three from China, four from Nepal, and one from Singapore took part in the competition.

Yunnan Dragon Boat Team of Yunnan Province of China emerged third in both competitions, the organizer said.

All the participating teams were provided with Rs 100,000 for their appreciation.

National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, State Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sushila Sirpaili, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song, Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City Dhanraj Acharya prized the winners and participating teams.

The event was inaugurated by Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati.

On the occasion, Minister Kirati said this friendship festival was organized in the tourist city of Pokhara to further deepen the cultural and people-to-people relations between the two countries.

The first-ever organized in South Asia, the Dragon Boat Race, is expected to promote Nepal across the world and bring in more Chinese tourists to Nepal in the future. The boat race was held to deepen the cultural and people-to-people relations between Nepal and China and promote tourism.

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